CASA volunteers give voice to children in court

2:15 AM,
Oct. 26, 2012

Serena Robb, a Court Appointed Special Advocates center, confers with Christopher Heins, caseworker for the Larimer County Department of Human Services, left, and Cassandra Mann, Guardian Ad Litem lawyer outside Courtroom 2A at the Larimer County Justice Center on Oct. 11. The trio met to discuss their mutual case.

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The courtroom of Magistrate Carolyn Pannell is filled with tears of sadness or tears of joy, shouts of anger or sighs of relief.

The lives of Larimer County's children often hang in the balance - where they will live, who will care for them and how long they'll remain in the custody of Larimer County's Department of Human Services. They're difficult waters to navigate, and the fear is often that children will get lost in a sea of instability.

To help children find their way and have a voice, Pannell often appoints Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, volunteers at the advice of interested ...